AMC's initial response to the success of the Ford Mustang was the 1965 Rambler Marlin, a fastback version of the company's Classic two-door hardtop. While the Marlin served as a halo car for the brand, it's size and accommodations did not serve it well in the application as a ‘personal coupe' of the stature of the Mustang. In 1967, AMC moved the Marlin to the larger Ambassador platform and the following year introduced the first generation of today's NPOCP contender, the Javelin.

The AMC Javelin, with its massive, contoured chrome bumpers, full-width tail lamps and flush door handles, looked futuristic compared to the contemporary Mustang, or even the almost as-new Camaro. Over its run, a full spate of engines provided there was a mill to match your temperament- from a mild 145HP inline six to the 401 c.i.d. V8 rocking 335HP. Driven by Mark Donohue and Roger Penske, the Javelin even won the Trans-Am championship in 1971 and '72.

Introduced alongside the five-seat Javelin was the unique, short-wheelbase version called the AMX which disposed of the rear bench and, by '69, was available with the top of the line 325HP 390 c.i.d. V8 good for sub-seven second 0 to 60 times. This separate model lasted only three years, and by 1971 the two-seat AMX had gone extinct, having been absorbed, amoeba-like, into the Javelin lineup as a trim package.

Now what we have here today is a 1973 AMC Javelin with AMX badging, but lacking the correct body number for that model. This is a 7279-7 car and the factory AMX package would be a 7279-8 model. There are significant differences in the production numbers for each, with the standard Javelin having a production run of 25,195 in 1973, against 5,507 for the AMX branded cars. If the photos are any indication, this one is in pristine condition, and not that mileage of a restored car matters, but shows a claimed 68K on the clock. For motivation it sports the 360 c.i.d, 2 barrel engine and a 3 speed slusher with a U-handle shifter.

AMC is not the most storied brand in the pantheon of the American auto industry, but they did make a number of interesting and desirable automobiles, including the svelte Javelin. This is a clean, and seemingly rust-free example of the marque, and while not exactly rare, you're unlikely to see another one on your block. . . ever.

But $19,000 for a 36-year old car from a defunct second tier U.S. maker, with malaise-era emissions controls, wonky handling, and an AM radio? And what about those AMX badges, you wouldn't try and pass it off as the real deal would you?

So what's the verdict on this $19,000 endangered species? Is it worth that to keep it on the list? Or, for that price would you just as soon be shooting at it from a helicopter?